Further Reading

The move by New York anti-vaccine groups comes just weeks after state lawmakers eliminated exemptions that allowed parents to opt their children out of standard school vaccination requirements on the basis of religious beliefs. Very few religions actually have objections to vaccinations, and the ones that do tend to have relatively few followers. But many parents who reject vaccines based on falsehoods and misinformation about their safety have claimed religious objections as a way to dodge immunization requirements.

As cases of measles in the United States have exploded in recent years—largely due to a small but loud band of anti-vaccine advocates misinforming parents—states are now cracking down on non-medical exemptions. New York, which has faced a massive and prolonged outbreak since last September, is the fifth state to eliminate religious exemptions. It joins California, Maine, Mississippi, and West Virginia. Overall, lawmakers in 26 states have recently introduced bills aimed at tightening rules on who can receive exemptions, according to The Hill.

As of July 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,109 cases of vaccine-preventable measles in 28 states. That’s the highest number of cases in the country since 1992. In 2000, public health officials declared the disease eliminated from the country (meaning an absence of continuous spread for 12 months, though travelers continued to bring in cases). The country’s measles elimination status is now in question.

“Educators” and consent

Further Reading

In New York last week, hundreds of parents attended a four-hour workshop called Homeschooling 101 in the ballroom of a hotel on Long Island, according to the WSJ. The event was hosted by the anti-vaccine group New York Alliance for Vaccine Rights and covered course requirements, instruction plans, extracurricular activity options, and potential financial resources for parents.

While some parents in attendance said they were hopeful that the state would reinstate religious exemptions, others said that homeschooling their children is the “only option we have at this point.” One mother said she would quit her part-time job as a fashion designer to homeschool her three unvaccinated children. “I need to quit everything I’m doing to become an educator,” she said.

Meanwhile, the American Medical Association, the country’s largest physician’s group, has set out to actively fight for stricter exemption rules. And in order to protect the children of anti-vaccine parents—who may be headed for homeschool in some states with stricter exemption rules—the association recently voted to encourage states to pass policies that allow minors to “override their parent’s refusal for vaccinations.”

“The prevalence of unvaccinated pediatric patients is troubling to physicians,” AMA board member Dr. Bobby Mukkamala said in a statement. “Many children go unvaccinated as anti-vaccine related messages and advertisements target parents with misinformation. Allowing mature minors to provide informed consent to vaccinations will ensure these patients can access this type of preventive care.”

The AMA in its statement went on to note that “the overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vaccines are among the most effective and safest interventions to both prevent individual illness and protect public health.”

A suggestion for a future article in what seems like a continuing series: it might be nice to try to do an interview or conversation with CA State Senator Richard Pan; he’s the guy who spearheaded the elimination of the religious etc. exemptions in CA, and is now one of the leaders in the follow-up effort to clamp down on abuse of the medical exemption.

Can’t say this is unexpected.The downside may be that those children will now likely not be educated as well, and are likely to only be exposed to their parents biased worldview, rather then being exposed to many views of other parents/children/educators.

I wonder if that makes the problem worse,Still if this gets more children inoculated, its probably worth it.

OK. In my state, home schooling needs to be approved by the state Board of Education, and home schoolers must comply with things like curriculum guidelines, standardized testing, and so on. You're free to put your own spin on how the material is presented, but the state retains control over much of the content. The goal, after all, is an educated populace.

It seems like, at least in our case, adding a vaccination requirement for home schoolers would fit right in with what we already have.

If you don't want to vaccinate, go buy yourself a hermit hut somewhere and stop participating in society and all the benefits society offers. If you can't play by the rules, you don't get to play.

While some parents in attendance said they were hopeful that the state would reinstate religious exemptions, others said that homeschooling their children is the “only option we have at this point.” One mother said she would quit her part-time job as a fashion designer to homeschool her three unvaccinated children. “I need to quit everything I’m doing to become an educator,” she said.

So, a few months ago, someone said - possibly in jest - that I needed to start posting ponies on Twitter.

I realize this just feels like doubling down on the stupid for these poor kids. Parents who are uneducated about basic science becoming the teachers, whee.

But it honestly doesn't feel like the kind of thing that's going to take off into some kind of new movement. Because home schooling is so much work. Like, forget how good a job you're doing being the teacher, you're putting in the hours now either way. Who has the wherewithal to do that, and wasn't already?

Beyond the time, there's the money. Hard to hold down a job while also making your job teaching your kids.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the hundreds of parents who attended that workshop doesn't feel like it will translate into hundreds of home schooled kids. Just take a peek at how the law works:

You must maintain records of attendance each year demonstrating that your child’s attendance meets the “substantial equivalent” of 180 days per year. Attendance records are only required to be submitted to the school district upon request of the superintendent.

In addition to the day requirement, homeschooled students are required to meet hourly attendance requirements: 900 hours of school per year in grades 1–6, and 990 hours of school per year in grades 7–12.

I dunno, just doesn't feel like an easy dodge to me, I doubt many will take it.

While some parents in attendance said they were hopeful that the state would reinstate religious exemptions, others said that homeschooling their children is the “only option we have at this point.” One mother said she would quit her part-time job as a fashion designer to homeschool her three unvaccinated children. “I need to quit everything I’m doing to become an educator,” she said.

So, a few months ago, someone said - possibly in jest - that I needed to start posting ponies on Twitter.

Can’t say this is unexpected.The downside may be that those children will now likely not be educated as well, and are likely to only be exposed to their parents biased worldview, rather then being exposed to many views of other parents/children/educators.

They're ultra-orthodox Jews, dude. That problem was already going to exist for them. Hasidic communities are notorious for abusing New York's governmental systems to defund non-religious schools in their districts, enabling enforced conformity and isolation from the surrounding communities.

Hasidism is a mental disease manufactured in the 18th century to protest the traditional academic bent of the rest of Judaism. Surprise surprise, the anti-intellectual splinter sect buys antivax propaganda hook, line, and sinker.

While some parents in attendance said they were hopeful that the state would reinstate religious exemptions, others said that homeschooling their children is the “only option we have at this point.” One mother said she would quit her part-time job as a fashion designer to homeschool her three unvaccinated children. “I need to quit everything I’m doing to become an educator,” she said.

So, a few months ago, someone said - possibly in jest - that I needed to start posting ponies on Twitter.

News like this makes me take such advice seriously.

And, yes, this entire topic calls for a repeating facepalm.

It might require the double facepalm, for that matter. Or, possibly, the triple.

This is only going to cause problems down the track. Not just for the kids who have been home-schooled, but for everyone. This has the potential to turn into one of them bizarre suburban cults you heard about in sensationalist news stories in the 80s, or seen in bad horror films.

It might require the double facepalm, for that matter. Or, possibly, the triple.

This is only going to cause problems down the track. Not just for the kids who have been home-schooled, but for everyone. This has the potential to turn into one of them bizarre suburban cults you heard about in sensationalist news stories in the 80s, or seen in bad horror films.

Unlikely.Most people won't have the actual motivation.And if your education laws are sane, they won't have the actual capability.

I refuse to let me children be brainwashed by the Liberal Education Indoctrination Conglomeration! They'll only learn the Truth in my household! Maths where pi is 4, and where all equations equate to Jesus! They'll speak English and ONLY English, the language God himself penned the Bible in! NO BIOLOGY, for our filthy, sinful bodies should not be discussed!

I refuse to let me children be brainwashed by the Liberal Education Indoctrination Conglomeration! They'll only learn the Truth in my household! Maths where pi is 4, and where all equations equate to Jesus! They'll speak English and ONLY English, the language God himself penned the Bible in! NO BIOLOGY, for our filthy, sinful bodies should not be discussed!

I realize this just feels like doubling down on the stupid for these poor kids. Parents who are uneducated about basic science becoming the teachers, whee.

But it honestly doesn't feel like the kind of thing that's going to take off into some kind of new movement. Because home schooling is so much work. Like, forget how good a job you're doing being the teacher, you're putting in the hours now either way. Who has the wherewithal to do that, and wasn't already?

Beyond the time, there's the money. Hard to hold down a job while also making your job teaching your kids.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the hundreds of parents who attended that workshop doesn't feel like it will translate into hundreds of home schooled kids. Just take a peek at how the law works:

You must maintain records of attendance each year demonstrating that your child’s attendance meets the “substantial equivalent” of 180 days per year. Attendance records are only required to be submitted to the school district upon request of the superintendent.

In addition to the day requirement, homeschooled students are required to meet hourly attendance requirements: 900 hours of school per year in grades 1–6, and 990 hours of school per year in grades 7–12.

I dunno, just doesn't feel like an easy dodge to me, I doubt many will take it.

I mostly agree. But you have to know that this is just a stalking horse for the leaders of this movement to try opening their own private, anti-vax schools. Because tuition from the gullible. And they can peddle all sorts of other flat-earth, creationist, Ley Lines twaddle that'll rope in even more.

That's a higher bar to clear, for certain, but you know it's what they're angling for.

While some parents in attendance said they were hopeful that the state would reinstate religious exemptions, others said that homeschooling their children is the “only option we have at this point.” One mother said she would quit her part-time job as a fashion designer to homeschool her three unvaccinated children. “I need to quit everything I’m doing to become an educator,” she said.

So, a few months ago, someone said - possibly in jest - that I needed to start posting ponies on Twitter.

News like this makes me take such advice seriously.

And, yes, this entire topic calls for a repeating facepalm.

It might require the double facepalm, for that matter. Or, possibly, the triple.

This is only going to cause problems down the track. Not just for the kids who have been home-schooled, but for everyone. This has the potential to turn into one of them bizarre suburban cults you heard about in sensationalist news stories in the 80s, or seen in bad horror films.

If they're going to insist on creating an insular community where they don't exercise even the most basic preventive medicine to satisfy some insane anti-intellectual agenda, I say let them lie in the bed they made. It'll probably all balance out considering they're a bunch of quiverfull racists that are responsible for keeping Bibi's genocidal government in power in Israel.

I realize this just feels like doubling down on the stupid for these poor kids. Parents who are uneducated about basic science becoming the teachers, whee.

But it honestly doesn't feel like the kind of thing that's going to take off into some kind of new movement. Because home schooling is so much work. Like, forget how good a job you're doing being the teacher, you're putting in the hours now either way. Who has the wherewithal to do that, and wasn't already?

Beyond the time, there's the money. Hard to hold down a job while also making your job teaching your kids.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the hundreds of parents who attended that workshop doesn't feel like it will translate into hundreds of home schooled kids. Just take a peek at how the law works:

You must maintain records of attendance each year demonstrating that your child’s attendance meets the “substantial equivalent” of 180 days per year. Attendance records are only required to be submitted to the school district upon request of the superintendent.

In addition to the day requirement, homeschooled students are required to meet hourly attendance requirements: 900 hours of school per year in grades 1–6, and 990 hours of school per year in grades 7–12.

I dunno, just doesn't feel like an easy dodge to me, I doubt many will take it.

Aurich, I'm guessing you're not in parenting circles? 'Cause when my wife started getting in mommy groups I rapidly discovered there are a lot more homeschooling parents than I would have believed.

I realize this just feels like doubling down on the stupid for these poor kids. Parents who are uneducated about basic science becoming the teachers, whee.

But it honestly doesn't feel like the kind of thing that's going to take off into some kind of new movement. Because home schooling is so much work. Like, forget how good a job you're doing being the teacher, you're putting in the hours now either way. Who has the wherewithal to do that, and wasn't already?

Beyond the time, there's the money. Hard to hold down a job while also making your job teaching your kids.

Maybe I'm wrong, but the hundreds of parents who attended that workshop doesn't feel like it will translate into hundreds of home schooled kids. Just take a peek at how the law works:

You must maintain records of attendance each year demonstrating that your child’s attendance meets the “substantial equivalent” of 180 days per year. Attendance records are only required to be submitted to the school district upon request of the superintendent.

In addition to the day requirement, homeschooled students are required to meet hourly attendance requirements: 900 hours of school per year in grades 1–6, and 990 hours of school per year in grades 7–12.

I dunno, just doesn't feel like an easy dodge to me, I doubt many will take it.

They form clubs. You can home school other kids, share the burden, rotate with other parents and even buy into some online programs for support.

I think we can stop a lot of this with a simple rule change, hit them where it hurts.

Tie the child tax deduction to vaccination. Bet the vaccination rate would go up pretty quickly.

Yeah, I've proposed similar ideas myself. More of a carrot than a stick, perhaps, but most of the audience here isn't deeply committed, and when skipping vaccination costs them more in some way than following through with it, they'll follow through in droves. The very few who won't are a small enough minority that they're not much cause for concern. And they'll save the rest of us a few bucks with additional taxes.

OK. In my state, home schooling needs to be approved by the state Board of Education, and home schoolers must comply with things like curriculum guidelines, standardized testing, and so on. You're free to put your own spin on how the material is presented, but the state retains control over much of the content. The goal, after all, is an educated populace.

It seems like, at least in our case, adding a vaccination requirement for home schoolers would fit right in with what we already have.

If you don't want to vaccinate, go buy yourself a hermit hut somewhere and stop participating in society and all the benefits society offers. If you can't play by the rules, you don't get to play.

I was thinking something along the same lines - I think tying vaccination to schooling made sense back before people were actually anti-vax, but maybe just hadn't gotten around to it, or had some other issue. Now that parents can just homeschool, I think we need new enforcement/incentives to vaccinate so kids can get an education. This shouldn't be tied only to schooling anymore - it's clearly creating a perverse incentive to make your child ignorant and rob them of a decent education (and I'm not attacking all homeschooling here, but I'd bet the outcomes for these antivax kids won't be great). We need something else, a stronger requirement or just plain mandate punishable by jail time. If we're now acknowledging that almost nobody has a religious exemption, could we just send them to court for refusal? Not ideal, but just trying to think of enforcement options that don't make the kid lose education and have more teeth for the parents as opposed to the kids.

Well, if parents are willing to go to this length to avoid getting vaccines, so be it. I mean everyone is free to do what they think is right for their children. It's just really, really, REALLY unfortunate that they based it on a false belief (yeah it's a belief, not a fact). At least with this choice they are not hurting other people.

As for home schooling, there are nothing wrong with home schooling, and most people turn out fine from home schooling. You can have bad students out of public school, or good students out of home school.

Considering that they are potentially leaving their kids open to all sorts of preventable diseases, and in turn making them potentially deadly to young children or people with compromised immune systems, I am not seeing how you can say that they are not hurting other people.